Lords second reading. Agreed to on question. Bill committed to a Committee of the Whole House.

Lords second reading. Agreed to on question. Bill committed to a Committee of the Whole House.

My Lords, our reaction to rape, to violence against women and girls, to coercive control and to grooming has intensified over recent years, along with greater understanding of what it means to be a target, and the protection of human rights is always topical. This includes the prohibition of inhuman...

My Lords, our reaction to rape, to violence against women and girls, to coercive control and to grooming has intensified over recent years, along with greater understanding of what it means to be a target, and the protection of human rights is always topical. This includes the prohibition of inhuman...

My Lords, I strongly support the Bill, and I do see it as a Bill dealing with state-sanctioned abuse. The Bill directly responds to the abusive nature of these sexual relationships which were built on deception. The deception that is involved negates a person’s ability to exercise autonomous choice about...

My Lords, I strongly support the Bill, and I do see it as a Bill dealing with state-sanctioned abuse. The Bill directly responds to the abusive nature of these sexual relationships which were built on deception. The deception that is involved negates a person’s ability to exercise autonomous choice about...

My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Hamwee, for her introductory remarks about her Bill. Unquestionably, the conduct of undercover agents of the state—be they police officers or members of the secret services—is a matter of great public interest. For women who have had relations with men who they...

My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Hamwee, for her introductory remarks about her Bill. Unquestionably, the conduct of undercover agents of the state—be they police officers or members of the secret services—is a matter of great public interest. For women who have had relations with men who they...

My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Hamwee, for alerting me to this legislation; I have been out of action from the House for nearly six weeks and I had failed to spot it. She knows broadly what I am going to say, which is that I have sympathy...

My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Hamwee, for alerting me to this legislation; I have been out of action from the House for nearly six weeks and I had failed to spot it. She knows broadly what I am going to say, which is that I have sympathy...

My Lords, I declare my relevant interests as a non-executive director of the Metropolitan Police, but at no time during my service as a police officer did I have responsibility for undercover officers and I have no professional expertise in this area.

I congratulate my friend the noble Baroness, Lady Hamwee,...

My Lords, I declare my relevant interests as a non-executive director of the Metropolitan Police, but at no time during my service as a police officer did I have responsibility for undercover officers and I have no professional expertise in this area.

I congratulate my friend the noble Baroness, Lady Hamwee,...

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Baroness, Lady Hamwee, for bringing this Bill before your Lordships’ House. It is an honour to follow the noble and learned Lord, Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd, in this debate. I acknowledge the contributions from your Lordships who have drawn on their expertise...

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Baroness, Lady Hamwee, for bringing this Bill before your Lordships’ House. It is an honour to follow the noble and learned Lord, Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd, in this debate. I acknowledge the contributions from your Lordships who have drawn on their expertise...

My Lords, I am grateful to come late in the list, as most of the drafting problems in this Private Member’s Bill have been spoken to.

I recognise that the statutory guidance says that these relationships should not happen, or only in desperate circumstances, but a breach of criminal law gives...

My Lords, I am grateful to come late in the list, as most of the drafting problems in this Private Member’s Bill have been spoken to.

I recognise that the statutory guidance says that these relationships should not happen, or only in desperate circumstances, but a breach of criminal law gives...

My Lords, I too thank the noble Baroness, Lady Hamwee, for bringing the Bill forward, and I support it. I am speaking today to express my shock and outrage that after all the publicity this issue has had, there is still no absolute bar on sexual relationships between undercover police...

My Lords, I too thank the noble Baroness, Lady Hamwee, for bringing the Bill forward, and I support it. I am speaking today to express my shock and outrage that after all the publicity this issue has had, there is still no absolute bar on sexual relationships between undercover police...

My Lords, I am very pleased to be able to support my noble friend Lady Hamwee’s Bill and her absolute determination to close what is a clear gap in the legislation.

I am not a lawyer or any sort of expert on this. I am moved to speak today because my...

My Lords, I am very pleased to be able to support my noble friend Lady Hamwee’s Bill and her absolute determination to close what is a clear gap in the legislation.

I am not a lawyer or any sort of expert on this. I am moved to speak today because my...

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Baroness, Lady Hamwee, for bringing the Bill before your Lordships’ House today. I begin by declaring an interest: I was a police officer for 32 years, serving in the Metropolitan Police and the then National Crime Squad, where, as a senior investigating...

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Baroness, Lady Hamwee, for bringing the Bill before your Lordships’ House today. I begin by declaring an interest: I was a police officer for 32 years, serving in the Metropolitan Police and the then National Crime Squad, where, as a senior investigating...

My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Hamwee, for tabling this Bill. As we have seen, it has rightly generated an impassioned debate across the Chamber on the important issues it raises. I share the concerns of all noble Lords over the historic allegations about police undercover operations. Such...

My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Hamwee, for tabling this Bill. As we have seen, it has rightly generated an impassioned debate across the Chamber on the important issues it raises. I share the concerns of all noble Lords over the historic allegations about police undercover operations. Such...

My Lords, I am very grateful to all noble Lords who have taken part in this debate. An objective of a Private Member’s Bill is to get the Government to think again about the issue, not about the words used by amateurs like me. [Laughter.] I am not sure how...

My Lords, I am very grateful to all noble Lords who have taken part in this debate. An objective of a Private Member’s Bill is to get the Government to think again about the issue, not about the words used by amateurs like me. [Laughter.] I am not sure how...

My Lords, I too add my congratulations to the noble Baroness, Lady Hamwee, on raising this point. It is important for two reasons: first, the terrible damage done to those who have suffered as a result of what happened; and, secondly, and to my mind importantly, the damage this does...

My Lords, I too add my congratulations to the noble Baroness, Lady Hamwee, on raising this point. It is important for two reasons: first, the terrible damage done to those who have suffered as a result of what happened; and, secondly, and to my mind importantly, the damage this does...

To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what physical acts the Church refers to when teaching that sexual intimacy outside of marriage is forbidden.

To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what physical acts the Church refers to when teaching that sexual intimacy outside of marriage is forbidden.

To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, whether there are recorded majorities in the (a) House and (b) College of Bishops to (i) allow clergy to enter into same-sex civil marriages and (ii) remove the stipulation that currently requires celibacy for clergy in same-sex relationships.

To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, whether there are recorded majorities in the (a) House and (b) College of Bishops to (i) allow clergy to enter into same-sex civil marriages and (ii) remove the stipulation that currently requires celibacy for clergy in same-sex relationships.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 6 July 2023 to Question 905961 on Gynaecology, if his Department collates statistics on the number of people who have undergone (a) virginity testing and (b) hymenoplasty.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 6 July 2023 to Question 905961 on Gynaecology, if his Department collates statistics on the number of people who have undergone (a) virginity testing and (b) hymenoplasty.

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on preventing (a) virginity testing and (b) hymenoplasty procedures.

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on preventing (a) virginity testing and (b) hymenoplasty procedures.